The Tusker Tribune The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School

Volume 2, Issue 5 http://somersschools.org/domain/995 Fall 2016

“Uranium” (the prologue) A NaNoWriMo Story

Editor’s Note: Somers Middle School Eighth Grad- in the sky! It looks dangerous!" his best friend, ers have been writing novels during the school Andrew, exclaimed. The other kids at the bus yeasr for the NaNoWriMo program. The name is stop, noticing the tension, glanced up and all be- short for National Novel Writing Month. Nitin gan screaming in fear. Seshadri, a Tusker Tribune Staffer, will be pre- Derek looked up. A giant, fiery object loomed in senting his NaNoWriMo entry chapter by chapter the sky, speeding towards Earth. Bits of glowing in the Tursker Tribune. The prologue to his novel, hot material were spewing off of its sides. One “Uranium”, appears today. piece of material narrowly missed his house’s roof. Further down the road, the roof of a neighbor was By Nitin Seshadri burning. Tusker Tribune Obviously, why would- Staff Writer n’t that be dangerous? Derek Derek had thought. "I’m going to use the woken up extremely late UFO detector app I made to this morning. see what in the world this "DEREK!" his thing is," he said to Andrew. mom yelled. Derek quickly fished "Yes, what?" his phone out of his backpack Derek replied, groggy. and launched the app he had "Get up! You’re made to detect objects in extremely late for school. space. This app had had won Come on!" him a recognition from NASA Derek awoke with a start. He rushed to who had said that he should conduct more re- the bathroom and began to brush his teeth lazily. search and improve the app, but he hadn’t done He jumped into the shower and doused himself in anything with the money they had given him yet. warm water. After rushing out of the shower, he As he put the phone up to the sky, it hurriedly combed his shaggy brown hair, threw beeped, which worried Derek. on one of his red T-shirts and some jeans on, and "ASTEROID DETECTED – 1 KM WIDE – rushed downstairs. MAY CONTAIN RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS – "Derek, why didn’t you wake up? I thought FATAL TO HUMAN RACE – ON COLLISION you set an alarm!" his mom said. COURSE WITH EARTH " appeared on the "I don’t know, I probably hit Snooze…" screen. Using the app, Derek found that the aster- "Whatever. Hurry up and eat your oat- oid was going to touch down in his neighborhood. meal, the bus is coming!" On his street. The asteroid was just 50 miles Derek shoveled the oatmeal into his mouth above ground and it hurtled down to Earth with and threw his backpack on his back as he rushed threatening speed. to the bus. It was an unusually hot morning for a "Andrew, I need you to listen to me…," New York summer. When he opened the door, it said Derek, his voice struggling to cut through the seemed as though he walked into a furnace. Just cacophony. as he arrived at the bus stop, he realized that he Derek could feel the heat as the asteroid had forgotten his school computer. He would have sailed closer and closer to Earth, a deafening to get a loaner to use today. noise ringing through his ears. "Dude, look up! There’s a huge fiery object Boom. Page 2 The Tusker Tribune The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School

The ‘Roots’ of the Christmas Tree Tradition

By Robert Gaudioso tree at Windsor Castle. A Tusker Tribune Staff Writer drawing of this was published The tradition of putting up a decorated in 1848 in the London Times. Christmas tree is traced back hundreds of This drawing was published in years ago, to the 1600s in Germany. The Ger- other magazines and caught mans decorated their Christmas the attention of many trees with edible things like ginger- Americans. This really bread and apples. They also used kick started the Christian glass ornaments, paper cut outs and tradition of today. candy. Decoration in those Vic- As German torian times included can- people immigrated to dles to represent the the "New World" in shiny stars at night. Edison's Electric Light the 1800s, they brought their Company made the first electric string lights in Christmas Tree spirits with them 1882. as well. The idea of a Christmas Now a days it is a worldwide tradition to tree became very popular in Brit- put up Christmas Trees. New York's Rockefeller ain after Prince Albert, a German, Center has been putting up a lighted Christmas and his English wife Queen Victo- Tree since its opening in 1933. It is a tradition ria, put up the first Christmas watched and seen worldwide by millions.

SPORTS UPDATE by Eli Yates

College Football Tiger is Back Selections Announced Tiger Woods played his first golf tournament on 12/1, after coming This weekend off of two back surgeries. He played on Saturday the col- in the Hero World Challenge tourna- lege football selections ment and came in 15th place. were announced. It was Alabama Brady Wraps Up Win #2001 who received the #1 seed at 13-0. Clemson got the #2 seed at 12-1. Ohio This weekend on Sunday the New state got the #3 seed at 11-1. Washington got the England Patriots played the Los #4 seed at 12-1. Angeles Rams and Tom Brady On December 31 Alabama plays Washing- broke ’s record ton in the semifinal Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl at that he tied last weekend with 3:00 p.m. Then at 5:00 p.m., Clemson plays Ohio in 2000 career wins this Sunday. the semifinals of the PlayStation . Brady broke it and has been the 1st quarterback ever to get 2001 wins.

The Tusker Tribune Staff The Tusker Tribune is published online and is featured weekly on the Somers Middle School Website. It is entirely student- Sara Vala written by 6th, 7th and 8th grade students from Nitin Seshadri Somers Middle School 250 Route 202 Robert Gaudioso Somers, NY, USA. Eli Yates Any SMS student is eligible to write stories. If interested, Jesse Heller please e-mail Advisor Dean Pappas at [email protected] Page 3 The Tusker Tribune The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School

Dallas Cowboys Dominate NFL in 2016

By Jesse Heller boys starting offensive lineman are below the age Tusker Tribune Staff Writer of 26 and they have 10 year veteran Doug Free at The are the first of 12 offensive tackle. Offensive line as the Cowboys teams to clinch a spot in the NFL playoffs. have shown leads to success. The Washington Redskins’ loss to the Arizona Long time Cowboys quarterback Tony Ro- Cardinals this past Sunday make it mathemati- mo, coming off breaking his left collarbone twice cally impossible for the Cow- in the previous season, is boys not to make it. healthy and ready to go. In Dallas is led by two just the third pre-season game, rookies, he had a compression fracture (quarterback), and Ezekiel on his first lumber vertebrae Elliott (). Dak which is the first bone of the Prescott who was picked in lower back. The Cowboys tried the 4th round 135th overall of trading for a quarterback but this year’s NFL Draft, is per- once they couldn’t, they had to forming like he is an NFL settle with rookie Dak Prescott. veteran. He was the 8th “Who is going to start?” The quarterback taken this year Cowboys now only had 1 loss among 15 of them. He has a (19::2) on the season in the first game and Tony (-interception) ratio to go Romo is healthy. Over Romo’s entire ca- along with 2974 passing yards and 5 reer, the Cowboys had been 10-23 without rushing . His 2 interceptions him and now they were 7-1. The Cowboys are the second lowest among quarter- just decided to delay his return because backs. Tom Brady only has one intercep- they wanted Romo to be 100% and they tion on the season but he had been sus- didn’t want to have to deal with who to pended for the first four games of the start just yet. Tuesday, November 15, af- season. Prescott also owns a 108.6 QB ter the Cowboys had won a crazy game rating which ranks third in the NFL. against the Steelers and were now 8-1 on Ezekiel Elliott, who was the Cow- the season, Tony Romo addressed the me- boys’ first pick in the draft, 4th overall, dia for the first time the situation and leads the whole NFL in rush- said, “Dak Prescott, and what ing yards, with 1285 yards he’s done, he’s earned the right and is second in rushing to be our quarterback.” touchdowns with 12 on the Romo has been like a mentor to year. Both Prescott and El- Prescott. He is supporting him liot are in the running for and helping him out. One of rookie of the year as well as the things Romo is known for is MVP! his scrambling and you can see Not to take away any- that Prescott has picked up on thing from Prescott and El- some of it. The Cowboys are liot, there are some other rea- young, talented, and most im- sons to the Cowboys’ success. portantly, they want to win. It all starts with the offensive There are 4 more games left in line. The Cowboys’ offensive the season. The Cowboys are on line ranks among the best in primetime the next three of the the NFL. The offensive line gives Prescott a lot of four games. They play in New York against the time to sit in the pocket to find the open receiver Giants this Sunday and then travel home to Dal- and they give Elliott the holes to run through and las to play the Buccaneers the following Sunday get more yardage. Elliott is a great running back night at 8:30, followed by a Monday night game but with those blocks he’s getting, he is the best against the Lions on 12/26. They then fly to Phil- in the NFL. If I were an NFL general manager, I adelphia to wrap up their season against the Ea- would be drafting offensive line. Four of the Cow- gles on 1/1/17. Page 4 The Tusker Tribune The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School The ‘Roast’ Becomes a Reality

By Sara Vala back tears but his taunts ripped her whole life Tusker Tribune Staff Writer apart. Finally, it was Marina's stop. She quickly grabbed her books and stormed off the bus Editor’s Note: This story is fictional, but the straight home. Marina could not take it any message connects with the anti bullying, tol- more. She opened the door and locked herself in erance and acceptance activities that have there for hours. been going on during Advisory periods at SMS. ************************************* "Marina, sweetie, it's time for dinner," "Hey Marina!" shouted Chris. "How come called Marina's mother. It was 7 o clock and her your head looks like an octopus?" he asked in a mother was getting worried. She'd never been in mocking tone. her room so long. Marina’s mom placed her ear "OOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" shouted against the door and listened. No sound. half the kids. "Marina?" she questioned as her heart It was the bus ride home and not even a rate rose every second. Still no sound. She tried minute past before Chris started "roasting" Mari- to turn the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge. na again. 8th grade has been torture for her and "Rick!!!!" she screamed. Marina's father Chris just kept adding fuel to the fire. ran upstairs a few seconds later. "What hap- Marina was a tall, but smart girl. She al- pened?" he asked with a very scared look on his ways worked hard and wasn't afraid to stand up face. for herself. But ever since Chris got transferred "Marina isn't answering the door and she's to her bus, he started to make fun of her. He been in there for hours," she said, shaking with made fun of her clothes, her appearance, and fear. even her weight. Marina was "Stay here," said her getting sick and tired of it, but father, and ran downstairs. the bully wouldn't stop. When he came back, he had an "Hey! Do you wear axe. “Marina!" he shouted. "If wedgie-proof underwear to you can hear me, move away school everyday child?" yelled from the door!" And seconds Chris. And on and on the 9th later he swung. Once. Twice. graders ranted. They weren't Three Times. Finally, on the any help at all. They admired fifth swing, the door opened. Chris and considered him a The worried parents "cool kid". rushed into Marina's room. Her Marina sat faraway room was trashed with books, from Chris as possible, but that clothes, and make-up accesso- didn't stop him from roasting ries all over her bed, floor, and her. dresser. "Hey! You should be "Marina?" asked her named Arby X for your porkbelly!" taunted Chris. mom with her face turning paler by the minute. Marina's mother always warned her that The room seemed to be freezing cold. one day, people would make fun of her weight. "Miranda?" asked Rick. Miranda turned And this year, the nightmare came true. Marina around. In the corner of the room where Rick sat in her seat, trying to brush off the taunts, but was, well, it was empty. Her backpack was sup- deep down, it felt like her self esteem was put in posed to be there. She looked in the closet and a paper shredder. She tried to concentrate on al- saw that most of her important items were gone. gebra problems, but she couldn't ignore the hate- A gust of wind blew into the room. The ful words, as they came every few seconds. Mari- two adults ran towards her window. They opened na's eyes watered and her breaths were short and the curtains, and saw a horrible thing. A trail of quick. Chris saw what was happening, but in- muddy footprints lead away from the house and stead of stopping, he kept going. into the woods On the ledge sat a note, written in "Hey look!" he whispered to his friends, sparkly pink ink. Miranda sobbed into Rick's smirking. "It's Marina, the crybaby, and she's shoulder and the two stood their and watched for gonna' cry," he said with fake puppy eyes. any sign. But they had to face the facts. Their 14 The whole bus started to chant, year old daughter Marina, had run away. “Crybaby!” Marina was trying her hardest to hold